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Iran Temporarily Releases Hunger-Striking Journalist


Iranian journalist Ehsan Mazandarani
Iranian journalist Ehsan Mazandarani

Iran has temporarily released a journalist for medical treatment after he suffered from health problems following a hunger strike.

Ehsan Mazandarani, editor in chief of the reformist Farhikhtegan daily, was arrested in November 2015 and sentenced in April to seven years in prison after being convicted of charges that included "acting against national security."

His prison sentence was reportedly later reduced to two years.

Mazandarani's wife, Maliheh Hosseini, told the semiofficial ILNA news agency that a doctor at Tehran's Evin prison reported concerns over the journalist's health.

Mazandarani was previously arrested in 2013 and held at Evin prison over alleged ties with "counterrevolutionary" media.

Journalists in Iran frequently face state pressure and prosecution.

Based on reporting by AFP, ISNA, and ILNA

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